Noob Checking In

[LA Pork Butt]

I'm a Big Green Egg guy. You can do four racks of ribs, and I have done 40# of Boston Butt on my large BGE ( not with the ribs ). You wouldn't be burning the wood, but rather using lump charcoal and wood chunks for for smoke. For me the great thing about the BGE on a long slow cooks is the ability to set it and forget it and sleep through the night. Good luck on your search! All the guys on this site can make their cookers cook. Maybe if they weigh in on what they like most about their cooker it will help you decide.

[NOVABONZ]

Thanks, Spin

[NOVABONZ]

Thanks, Dan. It will be good to have a real BBQ grill.

[NOVABONZ]

That may do the trick. Kinda looks like a big toolbox (in a good way)

[Spinaker]

Welcome to The Pit!!

[David Parrish]

Have you looked at The Good One? That's a brand name.

[NOVABONZ]

Parameters:
$1500 max budget
Grill and smoker
Rotisserie availability
Room for a 20 lb turkey or four racks of untrimmed spareribs
Lump charcoal and/or wood chunks (I chop/split the wood into butter stick sized chunks)
Solid construction
Easily removable ashes
Easy to add additional charcoal
Good airflow for the duration of a smoking session

I don't know whether I want another sidecar smoker. I do know that I do not want any gimmicks - I enjoy tending the fire.

[Jon Solberg]

Hey Nova!

[Breadhead]

NOVABONZ ...

While allocating coinage for this smoker buy make sure to add $$$ for a good temperature controller and a meat thermometer. Those items will make your smoking journey much easier and successful.👌

[David Parrish]

Welcome NOVABONZ! We're glad you're here. Thanks for your service. Prior USAF myself. Let us know what cookers you're thinking about. We'll help you spend your money!

[smarkley]

Welcome Aboard NOVABONZ

​Yeah give us some parameters like Breadhead suggests... we give you lots of ideas!

[Breadhead]

Welcome to the Pit NOVABONZ and thank you for your service to our country.

As far as what smoker to recommend we will have to know what your budget is.

You can cook 4 racks of ribs on a $400 upright vertical smoker or if you want to spend some serious coinage there's the Lang smokers and many other options.

I'm sure you're going to get lots of help on this question but having a $$$ figure you want to allocate to buying a smoker will help.

Enjoy learning on the Pit my friend.

[Danjohnston949]

NOVABONZ, Welcome to the Pit, The thing about Money is its not worth anything until you Spend It. May as well use it on something you Enjoy! Dan

[NOVABONZ]

I have been lurking on this site for about a year now and finally decided to join. I Grew up in the southwest and was given charge of the grill as soon as I was tall enough (dad wanted the bbq but would rather watch the game). I eventually figured out how to make cheap cuts tasty and how to make the most of a good cuts. I grew up and went off to the Marine Corps and traveled around Asia a bit, sampling lots of wonderful foods from festivals and street vendors and such.

I got out of the Marines and joined up with a hunting group back in Arizona made up of friends and relatives. We all shared in the bounty no matter who filled their tag, with the choice cuts going to the established members. I learned a lot about grilling meat with different levels of fat content and took up making jerky.

I was introduced to the low and slow world by a girlfriend's uncle we went to visit for Thanksgiving in Texas. We stayed up all night drinking and carrying on while the uncle was smoking a big turkey in a small, cheap capsule smoker. The result was magical and I was hooked...

Got my first capsule/water smoker for my birthday one year (I think it may have cost $35 at one of those dollar stores) and started experimenting with turkey and brisket.

When that guy turned to a pile of rust, my next (and current) rig was the inexpensive Char-Griller with the side box. I have been cranking out some pretty decent BBQ with that thing for the last 12 years, replacing parts as they wear out and making little tweaks for different kinds of BBQ.

I now live in Northern Virginia (NOVA) in a neighborhood with lots of free smoking wood! We had a tall tree die a couple of years after moving in and it turned out to be a cherry tree that I now use in the fireplace and for friends who love my cherry-smoked spareribs. Big storms are always knocking down big red oaks and the occasional hickory, so I am always very well stocked by the neighbors who know they will get some good BBQ in return.

I am now at the point where I want to go beyond what my faithful Char-Griller can handle. The block parties, the work get-togethers, the gatherings of friends and such are getting bigger and it is tough to do more than three racks of ribs. When I do even that many, the quirky (okay, cheap) nature of of the Char-Griller really keeps me on my toes. People look at it and say "those delicious ribs came out of THAT thing?"

I think it is time to make the investment in a serious unit. One that can really take advantage of the wonderful wood I have available, fit four racks of untrimmed spare ribs, and that won't have me desperately fanning at flames when I shut the dampers just a little too much and my fire dies. I am already narrowing the field and hope to make the plunge soon.